Two are better than one, because there is a good reward for their labor together. For if they fall, then one will help up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has no one to help him up. Also if two lie down together, then they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm by himself? And if someone might overpower another by himself, two together can withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
ג (gimmel) is the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In Hebrew, the letters serve dual purposes as letters in a word and as numbers. What is a gimmel?
The letter gimmel represents the benefactor or the giver of charity. The design of the letter gimmel is explained in the Talmud as a rich person running to give charity to a poor person.
In biblical times, the number 3 held cultural significance as well. It represented completeness and stability, as seen in phrases like “good things come in threes” or the concept of a three-legged stool. Scholars have studied the biblical symbolism of number 3 extensively, offering various interpretations and insights.
The spiritual meaning of the number 3 in the Bible extends beyond ancient times. Today, this symbolism can guide us in navigating the complexities of the modern world. Understanding the biblical teachings on the significance of the number 3 can help us discern right from wrong, make wise decisions, and live a life aligned with God’s will.
The board game Checkers differs from other rule-based games. Card games and board games like Chess and Monopoly depend on complex rules, while the Checkers game is logical. The only rule is whether an opponent’s pieces must jump on the board.
Laws of logic are the rules of correct reasoning. They reflect the way God thinks and the way we must think if we are to think correctly. Laws of logic are also called “rules of inference.” Correct reasoning can never violate a law of logic. There are many laws of logic. But three are considered the most basic or primary. Let’s examine these three and how they stem from the mind of God.
The laws of logic are invariant. These three laws are in force throughout the universe because God’s nature is invariant.
The Law of Identity
Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.”
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no change or shadow of turning.”
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
The Law of Non-Contradiction
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He spoken, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
1 John 2:21 “I have written to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.”
The Law of the Excluded Middle
Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”
Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witnesses against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live”
Acts 4:12 “There is no salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Holy matrimony is logical because it embraces all three laws of logic.
Common Law Marriage vis-à-vis Holy Matrimony
The verb to marry means to combine, connect, or join so as to make more efficient, attractive, or profitable.
The song “Where Is the Love?” was popularized by the Black Eyed Peas. It features the line, “If you never know truth, then you never know love.“
Truth means the actual state of a matter. It is the condition of conforming with fact or reality. Truth is a fact, proposition, principle, or statement proven valid.
“The word matrimony comes from Latin word matrimonium.The root matr- means the Latin “mother” and -mony means ‘the act of becoming. In other words, the act of a woman becoming a mother is the literal definition of matrimony. Another definition is found in the old French term, matrimoignie, which means to lock together or be obligated. This is where we get the phrase “wedlock.”
Second, the meaning of the word holy.
Bible Study Tools defines holy, “To demonstrate what it means to be holy, God first set apart the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be a holy nation to demonstrate to the world what it meant to live holy and for God. He instituted the law to show what was right and wrong, as well as to institute rules to help keep people clean, saying, “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground (Leviticus 11:44).”
“Of course, Jesus would later clarify that it is not what someone brings into their body that defiles them and makes them unrighteous, but what comes out of the mouth and the heart. Today, striving for holiness means having a relationship with God defined by obedience to His will and being shaped to have His character; “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).
Being holy makes the believer set apart from the evils of the world and useful for His kingdom.“
The Four Classes of Love
Agape: unconditional, durable love
Storge: familial affection
Phileo: brotherly love or friendship love
Eros: sensual, passionate love, erotic love
Let’s focus on the first and highest form of love, agape. Ephesians 5:25 is the key to durable, satisfying marriages. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it.”
The Greek word for love in Ephesians 5:25 is defined in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, number G25, ἀγαπάω (agapaō), agape. This Greek translates into the Latin language diligit. The Latin word means to hold fast, to embrace and never let go, to choose. Our English word diligent derives from this word. It means constant, careful, and earnest in effort and work. It is done or pursued with careful attention. It involves constant effort to accomplish something. It also means being attentive and persistent in doing anything. It signifies being indefatigable and unremitting.
For a word picture of the highest form of love, imagine a husband who embraces his wife and never lets her go. The idea of this word comes into play in Christian wedding vows.
“I _____, take you ______, to be my wedded wife/husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.”
“I love you _____ as I love no other. All that I am I share with you. I take you to be my husband/wife through health and sickness, through plenty and want, through joy and sorrow, now and forever.”
In summary, a marriage based on erotic love will be short-lived. A marriage based on unconditional love will endure forever.
For God so loved [agape] the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. — John 3:16
Anyone who does not love [agape] does not know God, for God is love. — 1 John 4:8
Holy matrimony is a three-fold cord, not easily broken.
A lifetime (over 50 years) of experiences with automation and control systems ranging from aerospace navigation, radar, and ordinance delivery systems to the world's first robotic drilling machine for the oil patch, to process-control systems, energy management systems and general problem-solving. At present, my focus is on self-funding HVAC retrofit projects and indoor air quality with a view to preventing infections from airborne pathogens.
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John N. White 